Pratik: Tell us something about yourself and when and how did you decided to get into filmmaking?

Guillermo: When I was a kid, I was always playing games similar to role playing games with my brother and my bestfriend, it was an interactive way to create a story. I suppose it helped my imagination and creativity blossom without limits and the need to tell stories grew within me.

I have always loved writing and drawing, two beautiful ways to tell stories, but when I was 14 years old, I realized that making movies was the most complete way for storytelling, because it covered a lot of arts I loved, including music.

Pratik: Tell us more about about your short film “NO”?

Guillermo: Well, `NO´ was an idea I had in mind a few years before I put it into action. I was thinking about all the ways we can get obsessed with the most meaningless things. When we think, we feel and then we act, but if we are obsessed with something, something that scared us, that we don´t want to keep inside, our natural mechanism instantly stops our thinking. That´s the illness that the main character suffers, taken to an absurd and Kafkaesque extreme. I wanted to exploit and experiment with all the available resources that the audiovisual narrative gives us to play with this madness: visual and auditory hallucinations, the atmosphere between nightmare and dream with hardly one foot in reality.

Pratik: Where did you get the idea for your film?

Guillermo: For some reason, I have always been interested in crazy characters. The idea of conveying how the senses change when someone begins to suffer from a disorder was something I was really interested in working on, and especially obsession. I suppose that my favorite films of Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan) inspired this project.

Pratik: Have you participated in any independent film festivals?

Guillermo: Well, in fact, I have participated in more than 100 festivals. `NO´ has been in festivals from more than 34 countries, such as, Australia or USA. The film has received 6 awards and has also had good reviews in online magazines (Threat Films, Rogue Cinema, Cinema Crazed). In 2012, in India, `NO´ was in the Official Section of Bhubaneswar Youth Short Film Festival, Guwahati International Short Film Festival, Kalpanirjhar International Short Fiction Film Festival and Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival, where it received a Special Festival Mention. In my country the film received an award for ‘Best Director’ in the Enmut Festival.

Pratik: What is your take on independent cinema? Do you think its possible to make profitable indie films & convey message effectively at the same time?

Guillermo: I think the independent films are in the best moment of the cinema history. We have resources to make great work in a really cheap way that directors didn’t have thirty years ago. We are living in a world where filmaking is possible for everyone, not just major corporations. We have the technology in our hands. Day by day, there are more audiovisual products available to us via the internet, TV and cinema. And yes, I think it’s possible to make profitable indie films being faithful to the message you want to convey. There are many examples of indie films without the support of major corporations that, after participating in Festivals such as Sundance, they are featured in cinemas all over the world.

Pratik: What is the scope of indie cinema in current world cinema according to you?

Guillermo: As infinite as the internet. As I told you before, we have really cheap technology available, which allows us to make quality films. We can count on the help of crowdfunding platforms that have no barriers. With all of this indie films are growing rapidly. You can see with a quick look on vimeo, for example, the quantity and quality of audiovisual pieces from filmmakers worldwide.

Pratik: Who all are your inspiration for film making and why?

Guillermo: Every form of art. When it comes to filmmakers, I could name a lot of them, but I will highlight Terry Gilliam. A lot of his films talk about the storytellers, and, in some way, watching them is like taking an injection of energy, where all of the weariness and frustration turns into something bright.

Pratik: How difficult it is to be a independent film maker?

Guillermo: Well, is like a rollercoaster. It can be a lonely job. You have to be in constant movement, creating shorts, feature films and audiovisuals pieces of every kind. The main point is to never stop creating, exploring and investigating. You must have a practical sense of things. You have to learn how to present your ideas and how to negotiate.

Pratik: What drives you or keeps you motivated to give your best in your work?

Guillermo: Be stubborn and surround yourself with creative people. Treat every project like it’s a battlefield, with dedication and passion. The actors need to be your allies, they have to be almost or equally as passionate with the project as you are. Of course, it woud be ideal if the technical team also worked with the same kind of affection. In the end, it’s your job as the filmaker to lead your team with such sentiment they have no choice but to follow.

Pratik: What are your upcoming projects on which you are working?

Guillermo: I´m experimenting with animation, so my project will probably be an animated short. And in 2015, I will release my next short film, which will mix religion and science in a fight that ends with the creation of a big cosmic paradox, but in a comedic way.

I love to make movies with a minimum in narrative terms: one character, one film set. Working under these conditions is a challenge, you have to push the creativity to the highest level.

Pratik: What do you think about endorse cinema?

Guillermo: So, what can I say? I couldn´t be more grateful for this opportunity. Any focus of attention and publicity about people who make independent movies provides a push and motivation for all of us. Endorse Cinema is a meeting point for filmmakers and is absolutely wonderful. A big hug and many thanks again.